Dentistry and hair cuts....

Yes, terrified of the dentist since childhood. I avoid hairdressers, mostly it's having to cope with the meaningless chat. I quite like the transformational aspect of it, on the rare occasions when I do go. My daughter recently spent 7 hours having her hair done, astonishing  

Yes. Learning to cut my own hair was far easier than getting together the energy to have professional hair cuts. For dentistry I just floss and brush thoroughly and hope for the best.

I feel ill if I even walk past a dentist practice, I had teeth removed as a child and ended up being hospitalised with dehydration, the geography of my mouth had changed, even water in my mouth made me vomit, I had totally shutdown and stopped taking. I was in hospital for quite a while. A couple of years later I had to return to the dentist for more teeth removal.  I don’t suffer from meltdowns very much, I normally shutdown as it’s less noticeable. I had a massive meltdown when sitting in the dentists chair, I bit her and then tried to climb out of the window, four people eventually held me down and anaesthetised me. That was 40+ years ago and I still have flashbacks most days. The worst part was being shamed  by parents for evermore, another badly behaved child who had a tantrum.

Started shaving my head for this reason. The dentist issue is real and still a hurdle each time I go. I don't go enough I know that

I ask my dentist to explain what he is going to do, what he finds and what he is doing as he goes along. IT helps me feel less vulnerable and I even managed to have 7 hours of work done in one week last year.

It was for 3 crowns (9 root canals) so involved lots of injections and lots and lots of fillings, but knowing what was going to happen and getting a running commentary actually made it interesting.

For the person who asked about haircuts, how about drugging the kid with antihystamine - that could defocus them enough to stop it becoming an issue.

I'm not sure about the perception of this medication of others mind you.

Hey there! Oh boy, the dentist... I can totally relate! I used to have a serious phobia of the dentist too, but I've managed to work through it over the years. I think the key for me was finding a dentist who really understood my fears and took the time to explain everything they were doing. It also helped to distract myself during appointments by listening to music or a podcast. It's definitely a work in progress, but I've come a long way. If you're looking for some tips or advice, I have found a good dentist at [link removed by moderator] Probably, you will find a professional there, too.

For sure.  Didnt go for 15 yrs due to paranoia/anxiety......turned out not too bad.

1. Nails haha

I also have a phobia of dentists. I've always hated people going near my face and mouth and I freaked out when I had to get a filling once, and then I got really OCD about teeth brushing, and was constantly paranoid about my teeth. For a while I felt sick if someone even talked about teeth.

I found it helps a lot if you tell the dentist that you are anxious and autistic.

(also it's not for everyone, but you can use prescription anxiety drugs to get you through  the experience)

He is just starting to be able to explain how he wants it cut and gets excited about the thought of it. But as soon as you begin cutting he starts to have a meltdown. We have had lots of half finished hair cuts! We have often left his hair to grow long but then the process of having it cut takes a lot longer. He only has about a 2 minute attention span!

Could you just try leaving it until he asks himself for it to be cut. Then ask him who he'd like to cut it, how and where. Does he have the language skills to tell you?

Does anyone have any advice on how to help a 6 year old boy with asd get a hair cut?  We have tried everything from ultra quiet shaver to cutting his hair with scissors (we don’t even attempt the hairdressers) but nothing seems to make the process go better. He hates loud noises (hand driers in public toilets being the worst, any advice appreciated for that too) He also hates the thought of loosing/saying goodbye to his hair (but also doesn’t like it if it’s long.) When he was a baby up to about 4 we could cut it whilst he slept but he is a light sleeper now so we can’t manage to do it that way. Thanks 

Try asking a conventional dentist for a referral to Special Care Dentistry. There are even hospital departments dedicated to Dentistry for folk with ASD.

Seriously, MH services were s**t. But my dentist saved my life - literally!

I've cut my own hair for decades, long and short. It's good to look after your teeth well enough to avoid the dentist, better with a check up though, that's only looking to me but sounds like it would make you anxious.

Hmmm....got to be a connection there, huh? This is begging for research time, lol.

I hate the dentist to. I've got two badly chipped teeth on the lower line, the front square ones I've forgotten the technical name for. I refuse to go to the dentist about it, as they don't cause me any pain, and the way my jaw works the bottom row is hidden behind the top row. I say "the way my jaw works" I've no reason to believe its any different to anyone else's...

Lol, I've just done it as was bugging me. Not an element. Keratin is a protein. And is in nails, hair, skin ,and enamel... :-)

Curious. Must google that

It's the basic element that makes them up isn't it? Keratin or something? Or is that hair and nails?

Oddly, I think there is a link between hair and teeth, but God knows what it is. In the many melt downs that followed the extraction of some of my teeth, I inexplicably cut off the long flowing locks I'd had since my late teens.

One OH counsellor said to me: "Of course you did. They are linked". I was too distressed at the time to ask: "How so?" Wish I'd had the presence of mind to do that now.